


Big Parade

by pocketlouis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Flower Child Harry, Harry Styles - Freeform, Liam Payne - Freeform, Louis Tomlinson - Freeform, M/M, One Shot, Photographer!Louis, Zayn Malik - Freeform, back in a time where things were good, flowercrown!harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-17
Updated: 2013-05-17
Packaged: 2017-12-12 02:52:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/806325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocketlouis/pseuds/pocketlouis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A one shot where Louis is a photographer and Harry is something else. Basically, Louis goes to a grape stomping party and he meets a lanky kid in a flower crown.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big Parade

**Author's Note:**

> A really quick drabble, sorry if it kind of sucks. It was inspired by the song "Big Parade" by The Lumineers. 
> 
> P.s. someone please take flower crown Harry away from me, I can't stop writing him?

He’s walking down a dirt road, on his way to a party. He doesn’t usually go to these type of events in fear of getting his clothes too dirty, but when Liam, his best friend, insists that he comes, he just can’t say no this time. You see, Liam’s family owns a vineyard and every year they throw a grape stomping party. And every year that Liam’s invited Louis, he’s said no. 

But this year, maybe out of guilt or some other reason unknown to him, he just had to say yes. 

When he finally gets to the front gate of the Payne Vineyard, he is greeted by a lady with a wrinkly smile and a bandana in her gray, flowing hair. “Hello there!” she says with a big smile. Louis tells her who he is and she directs him to the area where the party will be. 

It’s bright and warm looking in the distance—the spot where the party was to take place that is, and Louis can already see Liam and someone else running at him in the distance. Their hands are clasped tightly, flying in the wind as they run, like a kite. Liam’s got a big smile plastered on his face, white shirt rolled at the sleeves, a few buttons loose at the top, exposing just a bit of skin and Louis finds himself laughing at the sight. 

“Louis!” Liam yells as he and the other boy come to a halt, hands still entwined. “How are you? I’m so glad to see you here!” he says before going in to hug Louis. 

“M’good! You?” Louis asks into his shoulder. Liam is like another home to him, he thinks. The warmth that radiates off of Liam is infectious and Louis can’t help that he sinks so easily into the arms of his best friend. It’s been far too long. 

“I’m great!” he says and then he’s pointing to the tan boy standing next to him. “Louis, this is Zayn. My boyfriend.” he announces as if it were his biggest accomplishment. The gleam in his eyes were clearly noticed, and so was the blush on Zayn’s cheeks. 

“Ah! So this is him?” Louis asks Liam and then turns to scope Zayn out. The other boy has chocolate brown eyes, practically glowing with happiness and something else, unidentified to all around him. His dark hair is flowing in the wind, natural waves of deep raven and he’s got a face like an angel. “Nice to meet you mate, I’m Louis.” 

Zayn takes the hand that Louis had held to him, giving it a firm shake. “Likewise.” 

“Zayn is an artist,” Liam says, practically exploding from pride. “He’s got a featured show coming up in the city, and-” 

“Babe,” Zayn interrupts, obviously shy and Liam smiles at him adoringly. 

“He’s also shy if you haven’t guessed.” 

Louis laughs at that, “Yeah, I caught onto that. So what kind of art do you do Zayn?” 

“Um, well, I do a lot of human portraits and landscapes.” he says. 

“Oh? Humans?” Louis asks. 

“Yeah.” he says simply. “Models and such, you know? Typical really.” 

“That’s actually how we met, Lou. Right Zayn?” Liam blushes, urging Zayn to elaborate. 

Zayn’s laughing now and he covers his smile with his hand, and Louis notices that he’s got quite a bit of tattoos on his arms and everywhere really. They’re all completely different in their own way, and by the looks of them, you could totally tell that Zayn was an artist. 

“Well, Li here was actually one of the models that my art classes back in the day had. It was a private session, so it was just Li and I, though that didn’t change how completely awkward it was. And...” Zayn stops, laughing because he just can’t go on.

“I was completely naked!” Liam says like it’s something scandalous. “I even made Zayn drop all of his art supplies, when he, you know...saw me.” 

Zayn can’t control himself. He’s got his arm around his stomach as he laughs and soon enough Louis is laughing along with them. “Sounds like a real fairytale story, Li.” Louis teases. 

“It sure was. And it’s great because it’s one with a happily ever after,” he mumbles shyly, gripping Zayn’s hand tightly. 

They’re so sickeningly adorable that Louis can hardly contain it. As they walk to the area of the party, Louis watched their hands swing lowly together and he thinks about how so much time has passed since he and Liam had last seen each other. Before, Liam was too shy to admit that he liked boys, and now, here he was, completely in love and happy with one. Louis is proud. Though he’s only known Zayn for a little while, he can tell that Liam is completely happy. 

—

The party is all live folk music and good company—endearingly lighted as the evening fades, and vibes of warmth and happiness, familiarity in all of it’s meaning. Louis feels at peace, sitting under the trees by himself. The music is the kind of music that you wouldn’t find on his iPod, but he enjoys it nonetheless. The band plays some obscure song that he’s never heard, and he can’t help but notice the singer. He sings the words, “Lovely girl won’t you stay, won’t you stay, stay with me. All my life I was blind, I was blind, now I see.” and Louis is absolutely captivated. He’s got a diadem of petite, white flowers on his head and he claps his large hands and stomps his foot to the beat. Louis notices how adorable it is, the way his curls bounce in the same way the song does. And then, for a second their eyes lock. 

Louis finds himself frozen in that second, and then it’s gone. 

When the show is over, the boys leave and Liam’s grandfather takes the stage. He announces that it’s time to get into the grape pit. Louis kind of sits back, watching as the ladies run into the grape pit first. They twirl each other like ballerinas as their delicate, bare feet squish the grapes. Everyone is smiling and Louis can’t help but let out a little smirk when he sees one of the girls slip and almost fall. 

And then it’s time for the men to go in, but Louis doesn’t. Instead, he sits back and watches everyone smash the grapes like he did before. It looks like fun, it really does. But Louis’ never been one to step out of his comfort zone. Sitting in the background, watching...that’s what he did best. 

“Aren’t you going in?” a voice says from behind him and he can’t help but jump a little. He looks and it’s the boy from the stage. 

“Oh, god, n-no. I don’t think so. I may just sit this one out.” he says back, shakily, but somehow he gets it out. And then his heart is pumping. The boy is more beautiful in front of him and he thinks that he might attempt pinching himself, because how could he be real? 

“Well, you really shouldn’t.” he says, smiling. Louis shrugs in response because he doesn’t know what to say and why do his cheeks feel like they’re on fire? 

“Here,” the other boy says, and before Louis knows it, he’s gently placing a crown of flowers on his head. For a moment Louis can smell him. He smells like a hint of cologne and apple pie, oddly. But Louis likes it. “You should have one too.” 

Louis blushes, “I probably look ridiculous.” 

“But that’s the point, innit?” 

“I guess so.” Louis says.

The boy grabs him by the hand, hauling him quickly and Louis is on his feet now. “Where are we going?” Louis asks, albeit frantic. And the other boy doesn’t answer his question, he only turns around to say, “M’name is Harry by the way.” and then Louis finds himself facing the grape pit. 

“You can’t be serious can you?” Louis questions in a way that makes it seem like he’s about to jump into a pit of acid. “I’ll get dirty.” 

Harry laughs, “Of course I’m serious.” he says and then his hands are on Louis’ waist, lifting him effortlessly, in a way that leaves Louis breathless. Harry places Louis in the grape pit like he’s a child and thank God his shoes were already off prior to being kidnapped by the lanky boy with the flower diadem and a voice like raspy angels. 

Harry climbs into the pit and takes Louis’ hand, “Just move around! Step on all the grapes, shove people! Kind of like moshing if you’ve ever been to a proper show.” he says with a laugh. 

Louis just stands there awkwardly, “I...I don’t know...how...” he admits and for some reason he’s still holding onto Harry’s hand, not that the other boy minded. 

Harry begins dancing, crushing the grapes as he does, and it’s adorably embarrassing. “I’m just going to pretend that I don’t know you,” Louis jokes lightly. 

“But you already do.” he says and it’s so charming that Louis could die in the pit of grapes, completely apathetic to being stomped on by about fifty strangers. 

“But, you don’t know me.” Louis retorts back, but Harry laughs at that. 

“Of course I do. You’re Louis, right?” 

“How do you know that?” he asks and now he’s swaying his body too, squashing grapes for the first time. It all feels so disgustingly, squishy, and all he wants to do is get out. But being in the pit of grapes with Harry, hands still together, he thinks that maybe he can tolerate it. Just this once. 

“You stood me up.” he says with a half hearted laugh. 

“What’re you going on about?” Louis asks because he can’t remember the last time he stood someone up, or ever agreeing to go on a date in the first place. He thinks that Harry might be a little bit mad, dancing in the grapes and rambling on about preposterous things. 

“Don’t you remember? About three months ago, Liam had set you up on a blind date?” But Louis still doesn’t know so he shrugs and Harry tries again. “Coffee shop? You were supposed to look for the boy with the curls and the orange raincoat?” 

“Oh shit! That was you?!” Louis exclaims. He had indeed stood Harry up that one night. Liam thought that he needed to get out more, so he called the weekend prior, offering a date to which Louis agreed to. And then when the hour came, he never showed up. Deciding that he wasn’t really up for it. But, now, seeing who was on the other side...he thinks that maybe he would have actually gone. 

Harry smiles. “Yeah, that was me.” 

Louis places his hand over his mouth, “Fuck, I’m so sorry. If I had known I would’v-”

“No you wouldn’t have.” Harry says honestly, but it’s all in good fun. And Louis can tell that Harry is just so, so honest. Louis quirks his eyebrow at Harry’s statement, questioning. “If you decided to not show up because you didn’t know me, who’s to say that you would have if you did know me?” 

Louis stops stomping. “Wait...that makes no sense!” he says in utter confusion. 

“Of course it does.” Harry smiles. 

“Do explain.” 

“Well, you didn’t take the chance because you didn’t know me. Or, whatever reason have you. But, now that you know me, you say that you would have. But would you really? I came to you first after all at this fine affair.”

“So, you’re telling me to take chances?” Louis asks in a way that a student would ask a teacher. 

Harry nods. “Exactly what I’m saying, Lou.” he says, and then he’s holding his hand out again. Louis takes the chance and grips it tightly, completely letting go of anything that had ever stopped him, the same thing that stopped him from going to the date that night. 

—

After the grape stomping, Louis follows Harry into the night. They’re running somewhere, Louis doesn’t know where and it’s so dark that he can’t see. But, Harry’s brighter than the stars in the night sky, and suddenly, it doesn’t feel so dark anymore. 

—

They stop at a bridge, Harry let’s go of Louis' hand for a moment so he can swing his legs over the side of the bridge. Louis follows him and does the same. Their feet hang off the side and the full moon is shining on the water, reflecting her beauty, lighting the night, and Louis can see again. He sees Harry and his silly, little crown. His soft features are like the sky and Louis just wants to touch, but he doesn’t know how. 

“So what is it that you do Louis?” Harry asks out of the blue. 

“Erm, I’m actually a photographer.” 

“Wow! That’s incredible. What kind of photos do you take?”

“Well, just of things I like in general. But I do model shots too. You know, girls that are tall and way too skinny.” he says with a laugh. “It’s completely ridiculous, but it pays the rent.” 

Harry smiles at Louis’ optimism. “What would you like to take photos of? Like, if you could take photos of anything, what would it be?”

“Honestly? Like, right now?” he asks, and Harry nods happily. Louis blushes a bit because maybe this is a little far fetched, but Harry wants honesty. “You.” 

Harry’s laugh booms across the lake and into the night sky, “You serious?” 

Louis shrugs, “You probably wouldn’t get it. I know it sounds silly, I-” 

“Go ahead.” Harry says and it catches Louis by surprise. “W-What?” he asks dumbly. 

“Take a photo of me. You’ve got a camera in that bag don’t you?” he motions to Louis’ bag. “A photographer never goes anywhere without his camera, right?” 

Louis blushes. “Of course I’ve got it. But, here? Now? You’d let me?” 

Harry’s already on his toes, completely shoeless by the way, and he mock-poses for Louis. He’s leaning in a sensual way and they both laugh at that. “How do you want me to pose? Should I fix my hair?” he says and then he’s leaning against the railing of the bridge and Louis almost screams. 

“Stay. Stay like that. Just like that.” he demands while he reached into his bag to get his camera. He’s only got his old Nikon Fm10 and a hot shoe for the flash mount, but he’s sure it’ll work to his advantage. He can already see it: Harry leaning over the railing of the bridge with that ridiculous crown and that face, all on film for him to dip and develop into a piece of art. Louis pulls the camera up to his eye and focuses in the dark. It’s not so hard to see because of the moonlight, so he can see that Harry’s face isn’t smiling, isn’t anything, just there—some unknown expression as he looks out to the water, fingers crossed together as they hang over the railing. And once he’s got Harry in focus, with a press of his finger, the moment is captured. 

Harry’s got a big smile on his face now, “Was that it? Good enough? Can’t feel my eyes.” he says blinking a bit.

Louis laughs at him, “Yeah that’s it.” 

Harry moves, grabbing the camera easily—much to Louis’ dismay. “What’re you doing Harry? he asks in a little panic because that camera is his baby and no one else ever handles it. 

“Taking a picture,” the other boy says simply. And Harry grabs Louis by the waist, pulling him close. “So smile.” he says, aiming the camera at them and Louis doesn’t have time to think. Harry presses his finger down on the camera and the flash goes off. 

Louis thinks that he probably looked like a deer in the headlights. There’s no going back now. “That probably came out horrible, my god.” he mutters under his breath, snatching the camera back from Harry.

“Oh hush, m’sure it’s fine. It’s a memory. No one else has to see.” Harry declares with a smug smile. It’s silent after that. The only sounds are the moving water of the lake and their breathing. 

“The thing I love about film is also the same thing I hate about film,” Louis says. 

Harry looks to him, “What’s that?” he questions and notices the way the moonlight practically glows on the other boy’s skin. Louis is beautiful and there’s nothing else he would rather be looking at. 

“The fact that I won’t know how the photo is going to look until I develop it.” 

“Kind of like us, right?” he says and Louis nods because it’s true. He thinks about how there has never been an image that he so badly wanted to develop in his life. But just like all of the other images on film, came fear. Louis has never been a fan of uncertainty. Spontaneity, surprises, the unexpected, and the unknown were never his forte. What he didn’t know stopped him from a lot of experiences in life. What he didn’t know scared him. 

He and Harry headed back to where the party was and by the time they got back, it was over. Their hands were clasped together again as they walked back and they didn’t let go until they were at Louis’ car. Something was pulling in his stomach and he didn’t feel like leaving. He didn’t want to be away from Harry. “I had a really lovely time tonight.” 

Harry sighs and it’s one of those happy sighs. “I had a lovely time too.” he says and moves to open Louis’ car door for him. 

Louis says a quiet thank you and slides into the driver’s seat. They are there like that for a few moments and then Harry’s bending down. Louis is confused as to what the other boy is doing. All he knows is that he feels a pair of lips on his cheek and he feels the heat rise in his face. Harry goes to pull away but he finds himself grabbing Harry by the neck, pulling him back down to his level. He presses his lips to Harry’s and he can feel the other boy smile into it. Soon enough, he’s smiling too. 

They finally pull apart and Harry’s got a wild look in his eyes. “Will I get to see you again?”

Louis smiles shyly, “I guess it depends, young Harry.” 

“On what?” Harry asks, smile forming on his face, dimples coming out to say hello. 

“I don’t really know to be honest.” Louis admits sheepishly. He doesn’t know what he was thinking when he said that, but he hopes there’s a way. Not like he would admit that though. 

“I’ve got it!” Harry exclaims in a way that makes him sound like he’s cracked the secrets of the world. 

“Go on.” 

“So, you said that you never know how photos on film turn out until you develop them right?” Louis nods. “Well, how about this...how about, if that photo of us develops properly and not blurry, you meet me at the coffee shop this Friday, at 7 o’clock.”

Louis crosses him arms and nods in agreement. It’s a rare chance that the photo will actually develop properly. Due to that fact that 1. Harry most likely had no experience using a camera like that prior to the night, and 2. it’s just, really, almost close to impossible for that photo to have turned out correct. Louis doesn’t have to worry about anything. Just plain old fate, working in her ways like she always does. “Yeah, that works. I like that.” 

Harry smiles like a kid on Christmas, “Okay! Well, I’ll see you around Louis. Hopefully.” he says and then he’s walking away, flower crowned head and hunched shoulders disappearing in the dark of the night. 

Louis drives home that night and there’s something inside of him that hopes the photo will turn out. He hopes for the photo to develop from negatives, turn into something great. He could use a positive for once. 

—

The next morning he wakes up early and he spends about an hour in the darkroom. When he finally comes out, he’s got the photos clutched in between his fingers. He’s nervous to look at them because what if they’re not what he wants? What if he’s disappointed? 

He finally throws the questions behind in his mind, takes a deep breath and flips the photo over.

— 

It’s Friday night and the coffee shop is quiet and warm. Harry’s got his hands on the tabletop and he taps at the wood nervously. He doesn’t know if he’s expecting Louis to show or not, but he knows that he’s hoping for it. 

Many people walk in and out of the coffee shop but none of them are Louis. It’s about five minutes to 7 and at this point he’s just about to get up and walk away, but he’s not one for quitting. He often found himself wondering why it was that he wore his heart on his sleeve, so vulnerably open in sight for everyone to see. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it sure as hell wasn’t easy. He got hurt a lot this way, but it wasn’t like he could actually help it. 

When the alarm on his phone goes off to tell him it’s 7, he lets out a deep sigh. He’s disappointed of course, but it’s nothing he hasn’t been through before. The first time Louis stood him up was taken by him as a warning, but this time he understood. So he gets up to leave and then his eyes focus to where Louis is sitting across the room. He’s got a mug of coffee in his hand and he’s staring out the window. 

Harry smiles widely, arm coming up, “Louis!” he calls with a wave.

The other boy turns around and the smile that breaks out over his face is even bigger than Harry’s. He’s got the photo of them on the table and it's clear. Harry picks it up and looks at it. He's got a big smile plastered on his face, and Louis' eyes are wide, cerulean blues open in the night, illuminated by the flash. "It came out." Harry says, running his fingers over the smooth surface. 

Louis nods and gets up, "Yeah, it did. Which is why I'm here." he says before handing Harry the other photo. “Look, it’s you.” 

Harry’s eyes scan over the other photo and it’s just how he’d imagined it would be. “Louis, this is amazing.” he admits, because really, it is. The photo itself looks like it had just fallen out of a vintage Vogue magazine. The way the light illuminates his body, his facial features. There are slight hints of lights from across the lake, shining in the background. “You’re incredible.” 

A blush forms on Louis’ cheeks because he usually isn’t one for compliments. He often thinks that people only compliment because they feel obligated, but coming from Harry, they seem genuine. “Thank you.” he says quietly. 

Harry smiles at him, a glint of the unknown in his eyes and that scares Louis. But then there is a wave of something else in those green eyes. It’s something warm and Louis can feel it comfort and soothe the fear and uncertainty. “I’m really glad you waited for me, Harry.” he finds himself saying. 

“I’m glad you gave this photo a chance to develop. I’m glad you gave us...a chance to develop.” Harry says and it sounds more like a question, a question that he already knows the answer to. And then he grabs Louis’ hand, pairing their fingers gently. “I hope we’ll be able to take lots more.” 

Louis smiles at their hands and then he’s smiling at Harry, “Yeah, I would like that a lot.” 

They leave the coffee shop together and they don’t even realize that they’ve left the photos behind on the table. But it’s okay because they tell a story. A story that maybe no one will understand upon first glance, but to them, to Louis, it’s an image that said all the words he couldn’t. An image telling the story of a lanky boy in a flower crown with a voice like angels and a boy with an empty void and a fear of the unknown. A story of how they met and how they fell in love. 

Of all the photos Louis had ever taken, of all the photos he had ever developed, by far, this photo was his absolute favorite. This image was alive, and would only keep developing as time went on. Two hands entwined and twice the smiles, Louis and Harry leaving the coffee shop, walking across the busy street—they were an image of developing love.


End file.
